IECHE: 2015

The International Exposition and Conference on Higher Education (IECHE) is held annually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Conference organizers invited a select group of international, and Saudi, higher education institutions. The conference provides an avenue for Saudi high school and university students interested to learn about their options to study both at home and abroad. It is also an opportunity for education entities to exchange ideas and forge working relationships. IECHE is open to the public, and at times has hosted over 325,000 visitors throughout the week.

For the fourth consecutive year, the UT Global Initiative for Education and Leadership (UT Global) visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education (IECHE) in April 2015.
The four-day annual conference began in 2010 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Higher Education. The conference provides a resource for Saudi high school and university students to obtain first-hand information about their options for studying in-country and abroad through over 400 exhibitors, the majority of which represent international schools. A concurrent series of presentations, lectures, and workshops provide opportunities for higher education entities to exchange ideas on prevalent international educational trends while pursuing working relationships. IECHE was open to the public and hosted over 300,000 visitors throughout the week.

During the conference, UT Global Director Dr. Richard Flores delivered a workshop “Education in the Age of Globalization.” UTeach-Liberal Arts Assistant Director Eric Bowles, who frequently offers leadership workshops with UT Global, met with a number of officials and students, as did Operations Manager Mary Kemp. She also presented at the ladies’ campus of King Saud University, opening the door for discussion for future projects with UT Global.

The delegates attended a reception hosted by the United States Embassy at the Quincy House with Ambassador Joseph W. Westphal. During the trip, UT Global discussed future projects with institutions including Sharjah University, SABIC, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, University of Vienna, and many more. The opportunities to build positive relationships in the region are exciting, and UT Global hopes to continue working with those entities in the future.

Connect with UTGI

UT Global Initiative

The Global Initiative for Education and Leadership (UTGI) is a program at The University of Texas at Austin that delivers high-quality educational training and consulting to governments, higher education institutions, schools, businesses, and nonprofits worldwide.